New research has revealed exactly how many minutes smoking one cigarette takes off your life – quitting for just one week at the start of January could save a whole day
A chilling study has estimated how many minutes are lost from a person’s life each time they smoke a single cigarette.
The University College London (UCL) study published today said on average a single smoked cigarette snatches away about 20 minutes from a person’s life. This equates to nearly seven hours of life lost when a 20 pack of cigarettes is smoked.
It is estimated that men lose about 17 minutes of life with every cigarette smoked. A woman’s life is cut short by 22 minutes per cigarette, the researchers estimated.
Research commissioned by the Department for Health and Social Care said people who choose to quit for the week from January 1 to January 8 could save a whole day of their lives if they were smoking 10 cigarettes a day.
According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2023 around six million people aged 18 or over smoke cigarettes. It said this is “the lowest proportion” of current smokers since records began in 2011.
Sarah Jackson, Principal Research Fellow, UCL Alcohol and Tobacco Research Group said: “It is vital that people understand just how harmful smoking is and how much quitting can improve their health and life expectancy.
“The evidence suggests people lose, on average, around 20 minutes of life for each cigarette they smoke. The sooner a person stops smoking, the longer they live. Quitting at any age substantially improves health and the benefits start almost immediately.
“It’s never too late to make a positive change for your health and there are a range of effective products and treatments that can help smokers quit for good.”
The NHS says smoking is “the biggest cause of preventable deaths in England” and accounts for more than 80,000 deaths in the country each year.
It said some of the effects can include:
- Making your blood thicker, and increase chances of clot formation
- Increases your blood pressure and heart rate, making your heart work harder than normal
- Narrows your arteries, reducing the amount of oxygen rich blood circulating to your organs.
Professor Sanjay Agrawal, NHS England national speciality advisor for tobacco dependency, said: “NHS treatments, including nicotine replacement therapy, are helping thousands of adults each year to live healthier lives and we have seen adult smoking rates drop by more than half in the last three decades.
“But smoking remains a huge public health issue and giving up is one of the best things someone can do for their health, so if you’re looking for support to help you quit, please contact your local NHS stop smoking service.”
The research comes as the Tobacco and Vapes Bill continues its journey through the House of Commons. Should it pass, the landmark bill would phase out the sale of tobacco products across the UK to anyone born after January 1, 2009.
